Peruvian punk is not something I thought I would come across but I am glad I did. Shane Greene, while publishing his article in an elitist and rather inaccessible form of publication, an academic journal, discusses the Marxist aspects associated with the distribution and production of Peruvian punk.

While reading the article, I noticed that the upper class brought punk to Peru, just like how our Galeano reading mentions how soccer was introduced to Latin America through the English, an elite class. Anyhow, the discussion about the monopolization of musical production with vinyl and its dissipation when cassettes became cheaper alternatives is an interesting aspect. Cassette Culture, as Greene refers to, allowed for the widespread circulation of cassettes, local production, and the de-monopolization of the music industry which, therefore, made musical recordings accessible to most people. Moreover, the pirating and the use or consumption of cassettes also tied in with the socio-political message of rejecting global capitalism and oppressive institutions as there were no limitations on the creative potential of punk ‘underproduction’. It is, however, a bit ironic that in later years following Peruvian punk’s humble beginnings in the early 1980s the iconic band Narcosis chose to release a limited production of vinyl of their music that criticized overproduction.

Another aspect that I drew a connection to were the similarities that Peruvian punk and the general concept of Indigeneity shared. For instance, both have faced criticism/racism as not being valid as their ‘informal’ transmission of culture is not standardized and is much more fluid. There is also the rejection of capitalism found in arguments for Indigenous sovereignty and Peruvian punk, as well as critiquing class conflict that plays on rigid binaries of race, gender, orientation and so forth. Their mere existence challenges colonial institutions because they offer an alternative to the existing social/political systems in place. The fetishization of musical formats such as vinyl and Indigenous artworks, clothing, and more for collecting cultural pieces also fits the ‘Marxist capitalist-produced commodities at large’ (Greene 297).

However, punk is much more provocative to promote a discourse that undercuts social norms by blatantly disrespecting them which does not seem to be the case for those defending their ancestral identity. Just existing in a colonized system is a revolutionary act. Ethnic cultural identity is also something that cannot be as widely related to such as an ideology shared in a music genre. My explanation here is obviously very generalized but worth exploring in greater detail in a more specific context.

Do you know of any other musical genres in Latin America that challenge the mainstream? How are they provocative?